This marvel from the 19th century not only showcases magnificent architectural design, but also boasts a captivating historical narrative of the political prisoners crucial to its construction.
It all began on Feb 11, 1802, when a British-owned ship embarked on a 62-day voyage from Tuticorin, South India, to Penang, carrying 72 political prisoners who vehemently opposed British rule.
One of the prisoners was a prince by the name of Doraisamy Maruthu. He was no ordinary royal, being the son of one of the Maruthu Pandiyar brothers famed for their opposition to British rule in the Indian state of Sivaganga.
On Oct 24, 1801, the British executed the two brothers. Just prior to this, Chinna Maruthu, the younger of the two, appealed to the British East India Company (EIC) officers to recognise the “grants” he had given to a Catholic church called the Sarugani Church, revealing his surprising connection to Christianity.
In a twist of fate, Doraisamy, exiled to Penang years later, found himself assigned the task of constructing a church, as if destiny itself had orchestrated this intriguing turn of events.
Marcus Langdon, a British-born Australian historian and the author of “Penang: the Fourth Presidency of India 1805–1830, Volume Two: Fire, Spice & Edifice”, said convict transportation was employed by the EIC to punish both convicts and political prisoners.
“In Penang, they (convicts) would be ranked into one of five classes according to their crime. The lower ranks were employed in private homes and government offices; the worst were put to work in chains building roads,” he told FMT.
Meanwhile, award-winning author M Mathialagan said the 72 political prisoners were exiled to proactively eliminate any chances of them organising opposition to the EIC’s military forces.
“Their destinations included places like Penang, Singapore, Melaka, Myanmar, and the Andaman Islands, with the last receiving the largest number of convicts.
“The British and various empires engaged in the practice of forcefully transferring convicts from their home countries to foreign colonies as a means of punishment and to alleviate the issue of overcrowded domestic prisons,” he told FMT.
According to Mathialagan, even though their contributions were not widely recognised among Malaysians, these political prisoners were crucial to the construction of the exceptional church in Penang.
The construction of the church commenced in 1815 under the supervision of Robert Smith of the Madras Engineers.
According to Langdon’s book, Smith considered using convicts to operate pile engines during the church’s foundation work, but was hesitant to employ them for other construction tasks due to their inexperience.
However, it was the military committee who explored the idea of using convict labour to save costs.
The church’s brick and lime mortar architecture is a blend of neo-classical, Georgian, and Palladian styles, with the base handcrafted with stone from Penang’s hills.
In recognition of its historical significance and architectural beauty, the government declared the church one of Malaysia’s 50 national treasures in 2007.